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Sweet Potatoes are increasingly popular as an alternative to traditional potatoes, and surprisingly easy to grow. Sweet Potato 'Makatea' comes from the innovative Treasure Island Series, bred for both flavoursome crops and ornamental qualities.This eye-catching variety boasts bright green, heart-shaped foliage which can be harvested as salad leaves. Enjoy the attractive foliage as part of your patio display, before harvesting the orange-flushed tubers in autumn. Height and spread: 1.5m (59").

Gradually acclimatise sweet potato plants to outdoor conditions over 7-10 days prior to planting directly outside once all risk of frost has passed. Sweet potatoes require high temperatures of 24-26°C (74-78°F). Planting them through black plastic will provide extra warmth in cooler climates. When growing sweet potato in particularly cold areas they are best grown in greenhouse borders or under cloches.

Plant sweet potatoes 30cm (12") apart, leaving 75cm (30") between rows. Grow sweet potatoes in rich fertile, light sandy well drained soil. They prefer an acid or neutral soil in full sun. Prepare the soil in early spring by adding plenty of well rotted manure or garden compost to the soil to improve its structure and fertility. Water generously after planting.

Water sweet potato plants regularly and hoe between plants to prevent weeds from establishing. Provide a thick mulch of organic matter around the base of the plants to help conserve moisture and reduce weed growth. Spread the stems out around the plant and cut back to the growing tips to encourage more lateral stems to develop. Harvest sweet potatoes in late summer approximately 12 to 16 weeks after planting, when the foliage begins to turn yellow and die back.

Culinary note: Culinary uses of sweet potato are similar to potatoes - boil, steam, bake, fry, mash or batter fry as 'tempura'. The leaves and tips of young shoots can be cooked as a spinach substitute.

Seeds and garden supplies will normally be delivered within the time period stated against each product as detailed above. Plants, bulbs, corms, tubers, shrubs, trees, potatoes, etc. are delivered at the appropriate time for planting or potting on. Delivery times will be stated on the product page above, or in your order acknowledgement page and email.

Orders for packets of seed incur a delivery charge of £2.99.

Orders which include any other products will incur a delivery charge of £4.99.

Where an order includes both packets of seeds and other products, a maximum delivery charge of £6.99 will apply - regardless of the number of items ordered.

Large items may incur a higher delivery charge - this will be displayed in your shopping basket.

Please see our Delivery page for further details, and more information on different charges that may apply to certain destinations.

Thompson & Morgan strives to ensure that all its plants are delivered to you in the perfect condition for planting. Sadly, the time it takes to deliver to certain locations in the UK means that we can't guarantee this, so regretfully we are unable to ship live plants to the following areas: HS, IV41-IV49, IV51, IV55-56, KW15-KW17, PA34, PA41-48, PA60-PA78, PA80, PH40-PH44, TR21-TR24, ZE1-ZE3

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